Steel Storm
by HnS-Ryouichi
Summary: The world forsook him, so he forsook the world. In a dying world under siege that has yet to receive a certain bratty hero, he must carve out a new life with fire and steel, and find new purpose. What will happen when these two unnatural forces collide? Will it be heaven, or hell? That is anyone's guess.


Finally finished the chapter after forever. Just finished moving, and what a hell it was. Still in the process of organizing, and I'm without internet. I'll be uploading this via tethering, but otherwise unable to freely browse the internet due to the data limit. I wrote this chapter in a very different style than how I've been writing Lightsmith, so tell me how it is. As always, feel free to leave your thoughts and suggestions, as well as scathing criticism as long as it's constructive. I'm always willing to improve.

Edit: Fanfiction keeps removing words and spaces from parts of the chapter when I upload the document. If you find one, PLEASE PM me about the error.

**xxxx**

**Chapter 1: Causality**

**xxxx**

Naoto opened his eyes, recoiling as blinding light invaded his field of vision. Eyes watering, he blinked until he'd adjusted to the brightness. Naoto turned his head around, finding himself surrounded on every side by pure whiteness. There was no floor to speak of, leaving him floating about.

"... Where... the hell am I?"

Frowning, he tried to recall the sequence of events that lead him here. _I was... I fought Sasuke. I... my despair overwhelmed me, and I gave up fighting. Then he... through my neck... he killed me. _Naoto touched where the blade had cut his skin, but he felt no obvious marring on his neck. _There's no wound, impossible. And this space, I've seen something like this back when we fought Madara. He took Kurama from me and I was on death's door... Does that mean I'm dead?_

"Yes, you are."

Naoto twisted and turned, trying to find the source of the voice. Without any foothold, however, he found making any maneuver to be near-impossible. The male voice reverberated inside his head., as if through some sort of mind link.

"That's right." The voice seemed pleased that he caught on without any prodding or hinting.

_Not that it matters much to me if I'm dead. _"Who are you?" Naoto asked, his shoulders slumping as he gave up trying to move.

"Mm, you could say that I'm a guide to the afterlife."

"Don't need it." He didn't hesitate at all with his succinct reply. "I don't believe in an afterlife anyway."

The owner of the voice laughed. "As the saying goes, just because you close your eyes, doesn't mean the world disappears."

"Alright, say an afterlife does exist. Why am I the only one here?" Naoto spread his arms, bringing attention to the vast empty space he floated in. "If you're a guide to the afterlife, then every dead person should be showing up."

"You're right. During normal business hours, other souls would be here, but for this period of time, I reserved this area just for the two of us."

"Should I be honored?" he asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm not in the mood to chit-chat, so either tell me why you're here or let me die in peace."

"Hmm, what did I come here for again?" Naoto opened his mouth to swear. "Oh, that's right. I'm here to offer you a proposition, Naruto."

Naoto pursed his lips, his gaze turning stony and his body stiffening. He made very clear his displeasure. "Could you not say that name around me? My name's Naoto now. If you've been watching me, you should know that I left that name behind when that cheating bitch Sakura gutted my heart open." As he spoke, his expression grew more and more vicious, testament to how much hurt he'd received by this betrayal.

"Sorry, old habits die hard. I know all about it, and how it sure did a number on your personality." The voice spoke in an almost sympathetic tone, though he still couldn't even see or feel where the speaker was. "To find out that your SO started cheating on you almost from the very beginning, that you were always just a backup..."

"Enough." If tones and expressions could kill, Naoto's would do just that. It was clear that going any further on the subject was unnecessary and cruel.

"Still, your life has been quite a tale, one that has kept my interest for some time. So, I thought it would be a shame if you were to die so young, Naoto. To be honest, you shouldn't have challenged Sasuke to a duel while you were in such a tattered emotional state."

"Bite me." Though the verbal jab was meant both as an affront and a lecture, Naoto focused on what the voice had mentioned earlier. _It'd be a shame if I were to die so young? Is he saying what I think he's saying...?_

"That's right. You catch on quite well, I'm impressed. Yes Naoto, I'm asking you if you want a second chance at life."

Naoto sneered, flipping the bird in as casual a fashion as if greeting someone. "Fuck off." _Like fuck I'm going back into that hellhole!_

"Hm, I thought you'd say that. A hellhole indeed."

"If you knew I was going to say that, then why even ask at all?"

"I'll be honest with you. You don't have the right to refuse. However temporary, I am the gatekeeper here, and that gives me full authority over all dead souls." Naoto made to protest, but the being pushed on. "Naturally, I'll send you to a new world altogether, where you can have a fresh start at life."

"What's the catch?" Naoto couldn't help but suspect its motives. It was obvious that this thing didn't just go around offering second chances to just anyone. He also recognized that just because he was interesting, there wouldn't be a fee of some kind. Transactions always went both ways. _What do you want out of this? That's the real question here._

"All I want from you, Naru- sorry, Naoto, is to keep showing me interesting things. That is payment enough."

Naoto remained silent for some time. As his facial expressions changed from troubled to neutral, and then to troubled again, he waged an internal war on how to proceed. At last, he asked, "Why am I so interesting to you?"

"Oh, that's easy. Your unflinching resolve and desire to uphold all your promises, no matter what. These are traits that are rare enough as it is in humans, much less as strongly followed as you do. In that way, you break convention and challenge practicality in favor of morality. While this has numbed somewhat after your emotional turmoil, I think your newly emerged pragmatic side introduces fresh new dynamics to the way you influence your surroundings."

"I'm flattered, though I shouldn't be." Naoto exhaled deeply and rubbed his perspiring palms dry on his pants. "No matter what you say about my rights, if you forced me to do something I didn't want, the results would be far from entertaining. Isn't that right?"

"That's right, you've called my bluff. But am I willing to follow the bluff through?"

"I'd wager you wouldn't." He adopted a bitter smile. "Then again, I haven't placed my bets too well in the past, have I? Luck only gets you so far in life, before harsh realities drag you down into oblivion... Alright, I guess it wouldn't hurt to give life another try. Can't possibly be any worse than what I had happen to me, can it?" _Though, given my recent luck I may as well be jinxing myself by saying that. And if I don't have much of a choice anyway, might as well go in as optimistic as I'm able._

"That's the spirit, Naoto. Just so you know, you won't remember this conversation. I'll leave you with your memories and the vague knowledge that you'd died and were given a second chance."

"Then what was the point of chatting me up this long, you bastard?!"

"Just a whimsy of mine, pay it no heed." The being chuckled as the world began growing brighter and brighter, enveloping Naoto in seconds. "Good luck out there. You'll need it."

**xxxx**

**bbbb**

**xxxx**

_It's dark. It hurts._

Naoto cracked his eyes open and attempted to move, but unbearable pain coursed through his body. _God, I'm hurting everywhere. _He winced, but gathered up his strength try again. As before, even trying to sit up racked his body with agony. _I guess that last fight really did me in. Sasuke, you fuckhead. _In silence, Naoto gazed up at the blackened clouds overhead, so different from the clear sky he'd fought under. He couldn't make out a single noise, as if he were in a vacuum devoid of all life.

_Where am I...? I... what did... that's right, I died... Shit, you'd think after getting a second chance... I'd at least have had my wounds healed. _

He looked as far to the side as he could without turning. A useless gesture, considering that the stench of blood assaulted his nostrils. This has got to be m_y blood... If I'm bleeding this much, I'm sure to be bleeding out... Am I going to die again, without the chance to do anything? Well... at least, at least it's peaceful. _Though the dark sky seemed foreboding, the absolute stillness brought him some measure of calm. _I guess I don't really mind... I... _Defeated and powerless, he closed his eyes.

A low thrumming noise appeared, which gained intensity as time passed. Naoto craned his neck as far as he could manage – just a few centimeters – to make out what the sound belonged to. In the distance, he spotted agitated dust clouds, a sign of movement. If he had to guess, it'd be that the unknown was moving in his direction, though he didn't have to wait long. Naoto laid his head back, unable to keep it up any longer. The approaching figures he could only just make out became larger, and larger still.

_What... is that? w_as his prevalent thought as the bijuu-sized monstrosity stopped just short of his collapsed form. His vision began to waver as his blood continued to flow. _Ugh, it's the end of the line. I can't... _Naoto's vision began a gradual fade to black, even as a person exited the giant and descended towards him.

"_Boar-Three to HQ, I've reached the anomaly... The images from the reconnaissance plane were correct... it's human. Or human shaped, at least. Beginning recovery!_"

"_Copy that, Boar-One. Once recovery is complete, RTB ASAP, HQ out._"

Even his hearing began to give. It had to be, because he couldn't understand anything the guy said.

"_-ey, can y-... me?... alrigh-... -an you walk?..._"

_At least I'll have some company while I die this time..._

"_Hey!... -ang in there!... stims... diac arrest... quic..._"

At last, the darkness consumed him.

**xxxx**

* * *

**xxxx**

Naoto groaned and opened his eyes, but his world remained dark. "Wha-" Now that he'd regained consciousness, he could feel a fabric over his eyes. _Why am I blindfolded? Where am I? _He tried to remove the blindfold, but found himself bound to a flat surface, restrained by metallic bands over his wrists, ankles, and waist. _What the fuck!_

Some shuffling noises originating a short distance away – thanks be to his ninja training! – caught his attention. "Professor, Komabe here. Yes, the subject is awake. Yes. Yes, I'll make sure of it. We properly restrained him, as per your orders. Shall we apply some sedatives until you arrive? Alright. Yes, professor, we'll be awaiting you."

"Who are you!"

The others – he could sense multiple people in the room – deigned to ignore his demand for their identities.

He struggled for a moment with his restraints. _They did a damn fine job locking me in... I've got no clearance to do any fancy escape work. _He began to concentrate small amounts of chakra in his limbs. _Gotta take care so that they don't notice. It's pointless to ask questions if they won't answer, so I'll have to take things into my own hands. Wait... _Naoto flexed his fingers and toes and tilted his body to and fro. He winced, feeling residual pain, but he could tell that his captors had patched his wounds up. _I guess I'll go a little easier on them since they fixed me up. I'll have to wait for this professor fellow to show up first, so I'll sit tight for now. By then, I should have gathered enough energy to break these bonds._

Waiting for this 'professor' to show up with his sense of sight sealed and unable to move, minutes began feeling like an eternity. _So bored. Maybe I should map the room out with my chakra. _Naoto toyed with the idea of using wind chakra in a sonar configuration, but the danger of detection while in his poor physical state was too high. He clenched his fists several times, testing the extent of his recovery.

The sound of sliding material interrupted his thoughts, heralding the arrival of a new individual, who click-clacked across the room.

"So, this is the one?" a female voice posed him a question.

"Yes, professor, the one they found near ground zero."

_So this professor person is a woman. _

The room fell into complete silence. He could hear her take her time walking around him, sizing him up. She took her sweet time making several complete circuits, unnerving him in the process. Naoto resisted the temptation to whistle or tap his fingers to fill the emptiness of the space.

"Vacate the room." Her order carried authority and the confidence of someone unused to disobedience.

"Are you sure that's wise, professor? We don't know what it's capable of."

_It. He refers to me as an it. Why?_

"I have my reasons, Komabe. Do you want me to have to repeat myself?"

"My apologies, ma'am, we'll leave immediately." One by one, they left the room. For a short time, their organized exit filled the room with glorious cacophony. The sound of the door sliding shut brought him back to reality.

"..."

"..."

The professor didn't say anything further. For minutes, she observed him without moving a single inch. _Will we ever get around to talking? _He was itching to toss Plan A aside and free himself, and reining himself in was proving to be more difficult by the second. He needed to find out where he was, why they restrained him, and what their purpose was. Force would be a final resort if negotiations failed.

"What are you?" she asked at last, her tone's inflection an indication of her curiosity.

"What do you mean by 'what'? Isn't it obvious just from looking at me that I'm human?"

The woman laughed aloud, not bothering to suppress it. "Indeed, you do appear human, both on the exterior and interior. Yet, it's not possible that you're a mere human."

Naoto clicked his tongue, becoming somewhat agitated by her delicate sidestepping of the issue. "Why's that?"

In a patronizing tone, she asked, "Do you have any idea where we recovered you?"

His agitation worsened; No one liked someone who answered questions with their own. "No, I don't."

"..."

"..." _Back to the silent act?_

This time she adopted a harsher tone. "What do you know about the BETA?"

"BETA?" Naoto let his genuine confusion color his voice. "What the hell's that?"

"..."

_I guess that wasn't the answer she wanted from me. What the heck is this BETA thing, and why does it feel like she thinks I should know what it is?_

"Where are you from?"

"Where am I-... Is this necessary?" _It doesn't even matter where I'm from. I have a vague memory of being told I'd get a second chance in a new world._

"Answer the question," she said in menacing fashion, intending to eliminate any conversational detours.

"Why-" he sighed, at a loss for words. "... I'm from Eledia."

"Eledia."

"The continent where I grew up."

"I see."

_No, you don't see, idiot woman. Don't try to act omniscient, because you're the one that needs answers from me!_

"... Your name, rank and serial number. What are they?"

"It's rude to ask someone's name without first divulging your own." He risked an open taunt, aiming for a name at best, and to otherwise at least show some defiance.

"Name, rank, and unit. I won't repeat myself again."

_Damn, what a rigid bitch. And what serial number? _"Kazama Naoto, captain of 7th Squad."

"7th squad? Of which force, and what is your serial number?"

"Force?"

She heaved a heavy sigh. "There's no point to this. Either you're as good a liar as I am, or you actually believe – or been made to believe – you're telling the truth."

"I am telling the truth."

"And am I just supposed to take your word for it?"

"... No, you can't, so the other option is for me to prove myself."

"Oh? You appear in an uninhabitable and radioactive area, which is subject to severe spatial and gravitic distortions. Furthermore, you surface near the epicenter of a BETA hive. I'd love to see how you'd prove yourself to be human, because it's impossible for a human to have survived the explosion, much less the BETA."

"I don't even know what half of that mumbo jumbo you're spewing means."

"..."

_Whatever. _By now, the amount of chakra he gathered was enough to break free of his restraints and some more. "Listen here, I'm damn well tired of this nonsense. So, if you don't mind, I'll be going now."

"Go where? You're surrounded on all sides."

His chakra bloomed out for an instant, giving him a moment superhuman strength. With a jerk of his arms, he surpassed the tensile strength of his bonds, which broke with an audible snap.

"What!?"

He could hear the woman quickly distance herself, but paid no heed as he removed the blindfold. A set of sliding, clacking, and clicking noises managed to draw his attention to her. _That's some weird stick she's holding. Is it supposed to be a weapon?_

"Stop right there."

Now he could get a proper look at the woman. She was quite the severe beauty. Both her tresses, which rested just below her shoulders, and piercing eyes were a shade of vivid amethyst. A headstrong, independent woman, both in appearance and attitude.

"Don't try to stop me," he said, eyes hardening, "or things could get ugly."

"I could say the same to you. Try to leave this room and your life will end."

Naoto met her stare head-on, unwilling to show an opening. _Her eyes tell it all, she's prepared to kill me with whatever that weapon is. This place seems hostile, so I shouldn't stay much longer. _While keeping his eyes on her, Naoto took a step towards the origin of the sliding noises he heard upon regaining consciousness.

As he did, she pressed the trigger.

The ensuing violent bang shattered the room's silence. At the instant the bullet exited the barrel, its speed measured 250 m/s, or 900 km/h. With about five meters of distance between them, even factoring in friction and air resistance, the bullet would travel the distance in less than a quarter of a second. As the hammer struck the firing pin, which ignited the primer in the bullet casing, his mind had already moved into action. Even before she fired, Naoto had permeated the air around him with chakra. Having read her motion through the tensing of her hand and slight squinting of her eyes, he willed the air to form a hardened wall. Even possessing superhuman speed, this was all he could manage. Not even he could dodge a project of that speed without first anticipating it, and tensing his own body for explosive motion beforehand.

The bullet hit the wall of air and crumpled in on itself, having no place else to divert its energy but its own physical shell. Expended of all its forward momentum, the bullet clattered to the floor.

Naoto stopped to observe the woman, who stood speechless, her face contorting into an expression of shock and disbelief for a few passing seconds. She brought her emotions under control and, eyes narrowing, continued firing. The bullets smashed themselves against his defenses with nothing to show for it, for he was still feeding chakra into the air to maintain the barrier between them. The pistol's slide snapped open after the seventh, signifying an empty magazine.

And then, blissful silence.

Their eyes met, his calm gaze against her cold. She dropped her weapon, aware of the futility in continuing. She put her hands in the pockets of her lab coat, her outward confidence unshaken by his superhuman feats. "What are you?"

_Not much reaction, huh. Being able to manipulate the wind element so freely and without any obvious movement should be a very rare trait. Either this isn't new to her, or she's got one helluva poker face. _"I'm a human, just like you."

"No human can stop bullets like that."

"Where I'm from, humans didn't have dangerous weapons like these bullet things either."

"..."

Frenetic banging emanated from the door. "Professor!" said someone from the other side, "What is your status! Are you injured?!"

"I'm fine. I was simply intimidating the subject. Stand down and return to your posts."

"... Yes ma'am." The hesitation in the voice was clear, but they followed their given orders without question.

The woman looked Naoto up and down several times before turning to fiddle with a computer in the corner. She turned the monitor around. "Do you recognize this map?" On the screen, a world map was displayed.

Making a show of scrutinizing the map, Naoto squinted his eyes and brought his face closer to the screen, though he already knew the answer. "No, I don't. What is this? There should only be three continents and a collection of islands."

"In any other situation, I'd have you shipped off to a mental institute. To anyone else, you'd just be babbling about delusions that don't exist." She walked past him and picked up her fallen pistol. "But... from what you just showed me, it's obvious that you can't be of this world."

"Why would it be obvious?"

"In this world, psychokinesis doesn't exist."

Naoto's eyes widened. "You can't be serious. This world is that different?"

"What was yours like?" she asked.

"The majority of the people were normal citizens. In various villages around the continent, there were several hundred of us each. To be honest, that isn't a good measure for how many had the potential. Many people who had the potential never had the opportunity to develop it, or were just satisfied living normal lives."

"I see. Your world is different at a fundamental level. Here, the furthest mankind have gone is to read minds and share mental connections. Extrasensory perception, or ESP."

"Where is this place?" He pointed to the map. "I mean, this world, not where we are."

"Earth. Our planet's name is Earth."

"Earth... what a pleasant name."

She put a hand to her chin in a contemplative pose. "It's possible that my Quantum Causality Theory is too narrow in its definition."

As usual, half of what went in his ears flowed right back out. "Your what?" _All this mumbo jumbo, how am I supposed to make heads or tails out of it?! _

"My theory that an infinite number of alternate timelines run parallel with one another as they diverge at each possible moment. If the possibility of other worlds exist as well, then I'd have to expand my theory. If, each world in an infinite number of alternate worlds each possess an equal number of alternate timelines, then..."

Naoto closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "You've completely lost me."

"I'll explain it like you're five." She looked away, ignoring the scowl her verbal jab generated. "If your presence and abilities are any indication, then for every possibility, there is a world."

"So... an infinite amount, then?"

"Yes. The only question now is how you reached our world."

"I was killed by someone I once called friend and brother." Naoto closed his eyes, closing himself off from his visual senses to focus his memories. "And then... I get the feeling that I spoke to someone, or something. He, it... whatever it is, gave me a second chance. I can't remember our conversation at all. All I remember is passing out and waking up here."

"I would say that that's ridiculous. Then again, viability goes straight out the window when you can stop bullets. If supernatural powers exist, then supernatural beings could also exist."

He scratched his head with his non-dominant hand. "It feels weird having something that's so natural to me be so out of place in this world."

"Have you considered trying to return to your own world? Though, even if you did want to, I'm only an expert on causal theory. Multiversal theories are similar, but that could be as far as the similarities go."

"I appreciate the offer, but..." Bitter memories sprung to the surface; they were old, yet stung as if he'd only experienced them yesterday. Sometimes, doubts that he would ever get over the hurt from those times plagued him. "... I don't have any desire to return to that place."

"... Then I shall take the initiative in offering you two choices from here on. Give up on your life and waste away, or join our cause."

Naoto looked at her, seeing just a mixture of pity, hope, and ruthlessness behind her excellent poker face. _How miserable an expression I must have for someone I've only just met to pity me... I see, she's offering me some purpose in my life, and at the same time use me for her own ends. Still, I won't come easy. _"Those can't be the only two choices."

"They are. You don't know, so I'll tell you. In this world, humanity is at war."

"War? Humanity is?" It all sounded dubious to him, and his skepticism bled into his voice.

"We are fighting for our very survival, and we are willing to do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to win... to survive."

_She's fucking serious, isn't she._

"If you choose to work with us, I can guarantee your well-being. You've been given the same choice everyone else on this blue planet of ours has been given. Billions have died so that we may yet live on."

"Billions..." He could hardly process the number. His continent, Eledia, only housed as many as perhaps ten million souls. _And a billion is a hundred times that. _"... Even if that's true, what do you think I'm even capable of? I'm just one man, no matter how special I am." He thrust forth a counterargument, disliking the idea of submitting without a fight. He was his mother's son, after all. _Mom... Dad..._

"Loath as I am to admit, we need every available person... every bit of resistance we can muster, you even more so because of your powers. We can no longer be picky about who we send on the battlefield. Soon, the young and elderly will also need to answer the call of duty. That is how desperate we, humanity, are." She stared him down, her piercing stare never leaving his.

_I feel like I should put up more of a struggle, but... damn it. _"... I might be bitter about life, but I guess I still can't just walk away and leave people to die. You've really made this hard on me, uh..."

"Kouzuki Yuuko."

"Well Yuuko-san, as long as my strength can be put to good use, and I mean good, then you'll have me on your side." Naoto held out his hand. "Just so you know, don't expect to be able to guilt-trip me all the time. And if you start to make me think that you don't have the best interests of the world in mind, I'll just walk away right then and there. You won't be able to stop me."

"I doubt I would, though I will do everything in my power to keep you here if that ever becomes the case." She took his open hand and the two of them shook. "I will also tell you something. To me, the ends justify the means. I will do anything... sacrifice everything to save our world, even if it means innocent lives are lost. Yours included."

_Ahh... so she's trying to be subtle in telling me that things that might seem wrong at first are just a means to the end. We'll see if I agree with that when that time comes. _He let go of her firm grasp and held his arms out in front of him.

"I'm glad you catch on." Yuuko withdrew a pair of handcuffs from her lab coat and fastened them about his wrists. "For the time being, you'll have to spend some time restrained in isolation. I need to discuss this with my superiors and have you released under my custody."

Naoto smiled wryly. "That's funny... from the way you act, I'd have thought you were the one in charge."

"Hah! If only, though it's good that you're calm enough to be humorous. When it comes to my project though, I have all the power in the world, so no need to worry. Under me, you'll have complete freedom to act, aside from the required duties of a soldier." Turning towards the door, Yuuko paused. Looking back, she said, "Oh, and don't try to force your way out of the base, will you? The situation will turn ugly, fast. There are thousands of troops out there who have no qualms about shooting to kill, and even you may not come out unscathed. It wouldn't do to lose such a precious resource before I get to utilize it."

"Right."

"Good." She pressed a button on the wall. "This is Kouzuki, escort the subject to the brig."

"Yes ma'am."

**xxxx**

* * *

**xxxx**

A week later, boredom threatened to consume him. For the entire week, he sat in a tiny cell with nothing to do. He tried everything: whistling, tapping a beat, making weird noises, or even just sleeping through the day, but he couldn't get his mind off of his utter boredom. He tried practicing chakra manipulation, but, for reasons unknown, any complex manipulation he attempted ended in failure and the dispersal of the accumulated chakra. His holders fed him three meals a day, but never said anything.

Naoto sat indian style and entered a meditative state. He siphoned from his surroundings what natural energy he could, but there was very little. It took two hours to gather enough to enter sage mode, and when his connection to nature became concrete, he saw the truth.

_This world is dying. All life is being ground away by irregularities. Animals, humans, fauna... even the earth itself is being harvested. This is terrible... _He shivered, the presence of the unknown irregulars was almost suffocating. _There are so many, my god. What are they...? _

The echoing sound of footsteps interrupted him, forcing Naoto to purge the natural energy in his system by creating and dispelling clones, placing his excess chakra into a positive feedback loop. He wasn't yet ready to let Yuuko learn of this ability. He gauged the time to be sometime around 0515 hours. Telling the time, even without looking at the sky, was a crucial part of shinobi training. As an experienced combat veteran, he could tell the time for up to two weeks. As hours pass, there would be small deviations between the guessed and actual times. These deviations stacked on each other as more time passed, until the variance became too great to be at all accurate.

_It's too early to be the morning meal. If it isn't that, does this mean I'll finally get out of this boring hell?_

Two armed soldiers walked into the holding area. "Get up." One unlocked the cell, while the other kept his weapon ready, finger over the trigger guard. "Professor Kouzuki wants you. Any sudden motions will be taken as a sign of hostility, and we will respond with deadly force."

"I hope you don't plan on handcuffing me again. Trying to eat with that on was miserable."

The soldiers ignored his jest and escorted him, one in front and one behind.

_If I were dangerous, they'd need a lot more than two escorts. All I'd need to do is knock out or kill the one behind me. The one in front wouldn't even have time to turn and get his weapon up. _

It took just a few short minutes to reach Kouzuki's office, moving down a series of winding – almost labyrinthine – passageways to do so. The soldiers let him in, saluted, then left.

_Sure, just leave me to the lions, why don't you?_

Yuuko sported a playful grin as she watched from behind her desk. "How was your vacation?"

"Oh ha ha, very funny. It could have had, oh, I don't know, some actual vacationing in it."

"I'll keep that in mind. Let's get on topic now, shall we?"

Naoto bowed, making an exaggerated sweeping gesture. "Go right ahead, oh exalted one."

"Effective immediately," she said, pretending not to hear, "you have been released under my direct command. As a formal member of the UN Armed Forces, you will be assigned the position of Special Lieutenant. While not an actual rank, as my aide you'll have near to full freedom within the UN command structure. While you have the freedom to act as you see fit, you are obligated to comply with the orders of any ranking officer – Captain or higher – as long as they do not interfere with my own orders."

"The UN is what exactly?"

"It's short for United Nations. It's an organization comprised of just about every country in the world to form a single united front." Yuuko stood and began pacing behind her chair, posture straight and hands clasped behind her back, so like a certain teacher of his. "Its original purpose was a peacekeeping group, but the war changed that. Now, the UN maintains its own armies, comprised of volunteer soldiers from other nations and refugees of nations that no longer exist."

Naoto scratched his chin in timid fashion. "I kind of get it. So the UN's purpose is to help where it's needed?"

"That's right. I noticed it before, but it's good that you're a quick learner."

He waved his hand up and down, pivoting it by the wrist without moving the arm. "You give me too much credit, Yuuko-san. I may not look like it, but in my youth I was quite an idiot." She raised an eyebrow, to which he said, "Oh yes, and what an idiot I was. All that's changed since then is that I'm no longer brash and overconfident. I'm great at squad-level tactics, but I wear my heart on my sleeve and still act on impulse. I'm clever, not intelligent." He gave a wry smile as he deprecated himself.

"Hm. Well, acknowledging your own strengths and weaknesses is commendable, and preferred to blind arrogance."

"So, I'd like to know... where are we?" Naoto swept his right arm to its full extent. "And I don't mean this office."

"We are at Nerima base, located on the eastern fringe of Tokyo, the current imperial capital of the Empire of Japan. This was the frontline base used to counterattack the Yokohama hive, some 30 kilometers to the south."

"What's a hive? Is it related to that BETA thing you talked about before?"

"My, your memory's quite good." Yuuko placed a hand on her jawline in a mocking gesture. "That's right, there is a relation between the BETA and hives. Hives produce them, after all. BETA is short for Beings of Extra Terrestrial origins that are the Adversaries of the human race. They are an alien species determined to wipe out humanity to the last."

Yuuko opened her mouth a fraction, as if to continue, but closed it after a moment's consideration. "You look like you have something more to say," he said, pushing her.

"That I do." She pursed her lips and looked him straight in the eye. "What I tell you must never leave this room."

"If it's secrets, I can do secrets. I thrived on secrets in my youth; Without them, I'd have been a marked target since birth."

She raised an eyebrow, but did not inquire about his own circumstances. "We, humans, tried to communicate with the BETA in various ways and find out their objective, which all ended in devastating failure. We even tried to communicate using telepathy through espers, but that also failed. Mostly. We managed to obtain was a sliver of information by skimming their latent thoughts, something that may very well be the key to saving humanity." Yuuko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "To the BETA, humans are not considered life forms."

Naoto tilted his head. "How is that important?"

She smiled bitterly. "What do you think about when you walk on dirt?"

"... Nothing. It's just dirt, it's..." His eyes widened and body stiffened.

"That's right." Yuuko let out a mirthless laugh. "You think nothing of crushing dirt under your feet, because it isn't a life form; It's just a resource. To the BETA, we are just like dirt. Something that is trampled on without consideration. That is where I come in."

"What do you mean?

"If we and the other forms of life on this world of ours, all of us carbon-based, are not considered life forms to these aliens, then it stands to reason that the BETA could recognize as life a life form created using different materials. It is my appointed duty to create a silicon-based life form in an attempt to once more attempt to communicate with the invaders and find out their aims."

"Silicon?"

"A material we discovered over a century ago, silicon is an element that has good physical stability, semi-conductivity, and bonds well with a variety of other elements to create compounds that have yet more specialties. We use it in the majority of the world's construction materials and electronics."

_She's in teacher mode again. _"Like computers."

"Yes, the circuitry of a computer are constructed using silicon as a base. Moreover, I'm somewhat surprised that your world also had computers. It seems our worlds developed in parallel to an extent."

"Looks like it." He eyed the pocket of her lab coat that held her weapon. "Though, because we were capable of superhuman feats, we never went down the route of building weapons like that."

"I thought so. Though you weren't injured, the surprised look on your face when I shot at you was amusing."

"I could say the same for you when I stopped your attack in mid-air," he said, shooting back a sharp verbal riposte. "Still, this information you've just told me... why can't it leave this room? It's not the type of thing that you need to hide."

"True, but the methods we use to accomplish our goals would be brought into question." Turning to face the wall, Yuuko said, "To guarantee our survival as a species, we've decided to do anything to make this happen no matter the cost... We've been at war with the BETA for the better part of half a century, and humanity is on its last legs. Tens of millions of displaced refugees, the continual lowering of the minimum drafting age, food, water, and medicine rationing and shortages... The people are weary of it all." She looked to the large map posted on the wall behind the desk.

He matched her gaze and saw a map covered by large swaths of crimson red. A hostile color, red was used most often to portray the enemy. "Is this map accurate?" he asked, staring at the material pinned on the wall. If it was, over half the land mass of the world belonged under enemy control.

Yuuko balled her right hand into a tight fist. Wide sleeves covered her arms, making it almost impossible to identify tells in muscle movement, so he almost missed it. Naoto gave silent thanks to the excellent teachers of his past for drilling the concepts of awareness and caution into his head, even if he'd disregarded those lessons during his youth.

"Oh, it's accurate alright, embarrassingly so." Yuuko massaged her right wrist to release some tension. "What do you think?"

Naoto shrugged. "What am I supposed to say? I'm not from here. You mentioned an Empire of Japan... where is it?" She pointed to a small eastern island off what was labeled China. "It looks pretty small compared to China."

"That it is, but Japan is one of the lynchpins in the Far East Defense Line. A highly motivated and honor-centric population pool and high-tech TSF designs place this small island nation on the upper strata of strength in the world. If Japan falls, the BETA being held back will then be free to reinforce their numbers and grind down the rest of the line in time."

"Mm..." Naoto scratched the back of his head. It helped him think, a leftover habit from his youth. "So, you still haven't shown me what the BETA look like."

The corners of her mouth tilted up. "Classified information. Only eishi are allowed to know what the BETA look like, because they are the ones who fight them."

_Eishi?_

He must have let his face show a tell of confusion, because she continued, "Eishi is the title for those who pilot TSFs, the Tactical Surface Fighter." Naoto relaxed his facial muscles, trying not to let this woman gain needless advantages.

"If I'm going to stay in this world and fight the BETA, then I should know what they look like."

Yuuko frowned and leaned forward, using the desktop as support. "I'm afraid not, you're much too valuable to waste on the battlefield."

Shaking his head, he said, "If you think that you can use me as a test subject, or that I'd let you, you'd be sorely mistaken, professor Kouzuki." He used her formal title to give emphasis to his disagreement. "I agreed to help you against the BETA, but how I do so is my prerogative. That decision isn't yours."

"I wouldn't say test subject, you certainly rate much higher on my list than that. Be that as it may, you could surely be of more help to the human race as the progenitor of new technologies than as a soldier on the front lines."

"That is a possibility. The issue, though, isn't with what I can contribute to your war effort, but rather an incompatibility with my principles. I can't just stand by and watch people die while we perform experiments whose success may only be dubious at best." He stood ramrod straight. "If you want my cooperation, there can't be any other way, Kouzuki Yuuko. I'm a fighter."

Yuuko collapsed into her chair, sighing as she did. "I notice you chose the word fighter instead of soldier."

"You're not a bad observer yourself." Naoto relaxed his posture and smiled. "I'm the type to fight for what I believe in. If an order came down the chain that wanted me to do something that goes against my beliefs, I wouldn't hesitate to disobey it... At least, that's what I would've said in the past."

"And now?"

"I fight for what I believe, that much hasn't changed. As for what has, I've been in a leadership position long enough to learn the necessity in making distasteful decisions. I learned the hard way that life can't always be a joyous affair. It was my job and duty, as a leader and as a friend, to get as many happy endings that I could while sacrificing as little to none as possible."

Yuuko smiled. For the first time since he'd met her, he could see a hint of that smile in her eyes. Still, her expression remained sharp. "That's good. To be honest, I had no reason to deny you the appearance of the BETA, considering I divulged secrets even more important than that. Just know that if you try to blab what you've heard in this room, the full might of the UN will crush you under their heel."

"... I'll keep that in mind." _Even I'm not sure I could take on an entire army or armies by my lonesome._

"I'll say it again; We have one goal only: save mankind. No matter what stands in the way, whether it be BETA, friends, family, or even you, we will sweep them all out of the way for the sake of ultimate victory. Consider this your one and only warning, Kazama."

"That kind of single-mindedness will only lead to hatred, sadness, and guilt consuming you. I've seen it happen before, and I know its effects all too well. And once you succeed at last, it'll leave you empty inside." Naoto looked away, reminded again of the past.

"Then let it be so. Better that than let everything be destroyed."

_True, yours is a much larger battle than just being an avenger, with much higher stakes. _"Do what you want. It's not like I can force you," he said, backing down. _One of the key things they teach you about being a shinobi is knowing when to retreat. There are some things I can't give up fighting for, but this isn't one of them. _"Moving on, I can't abide by becoming a test subject. At least, not that alone."

Yuuko sighed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. "You have to become a soldier, no matter what?"

"I'm a fighter, born and raised. I mean this in a literal sense."

"If that's the case, then haven't you ever considered another line of work?" asked Yuuko, without batting eye to the so-called revelation.

"I've considered becoming a restauranteur, yes." Naoto reddened right up to his ears as Yuuko bore holes into him with her stare. He looked away and scratched at his ear. "Don't give me that look, will you? I passed on that because it's not my thing to stand by and let people get hurt just because I don't want to fight. Those with power have a responsibility."

"Well said. If you're intent on being a soldier, then I don't really have any way to force you; You don't have anything in this world I can use as leverage. Then in return for preparing everything you need, I'll use you for my own research within reason."

"The compromise seems a little uneven, don't you think?"

"You don't exist in this world, Kazama. I'll need to fabricate your entire existence, including your past. Then I'll need to create a reason as to why you haven't been drafted yet as a male of your age. Finally, as to your European countenance, I'll have to work in why you're serving here instead of Europe."

"Europe?"

"It's another continent to the west. Height and physical features like yours isn't common in Asia."

"Ah... You're right, that seems like a lot of trouble. I'll retract my objection and agree to this compromise."

"Very well." Her answer was fast, but not too much to sound overeager.

"So..." He raised his arms and leaned his head back into interlocked hands, "I recall you mentioning that the place you found me was reason enough to label me an anomaly."

"Ah, that." Yuuko leaning over her computer and fiddled with the mouse, before flipping a switch to turn on the room's projector and display an image on the wall. It depicted a smooth crater that measured almost a kilometer in radius. "This is where we found you."

"... That's some crater."

"The overarching effects of the G-Bombs are still unknown, so it's possible you were brought here due to the distortions in reality caused by forcefully manipulating gravity."

"More technobabble I can't understand, so I'll take your word for it." Naoto straightened his back, stiffened his body, and looked Yuuko in the eye. "Since I'll be living in this world, I'll do my part. So long as you make genuine efforts towards saving humanity and don't take any unsightly detours, I'll lend you my strength. I'm not interested in upholding or making empty promises. Once I make a promise, I see it through to the very end unless the other party does not uphold their end." At his final declaration, he placed his right hand, squeezed into a fist, over his heart.

She spun her chair left and right lazily. "No need to fuss over such things. I could never have climbed to this position without being true to my word."

He raised an eyebrow. "I can't say I know you very well, but you come off as the scheming type."

"Whether I help you or stab you in the back, rest assured that I never make promises I can't keep. And speaking of promises..." Yuuko opened her desk drawer and placed neatly folded clothes on top. "Welcome to Nerima base, cadet."

**xxxx**

* * *

**xxxx**

"Hmm... Over here?" Naoto wandered through the base. Try as he might, the location of the meeting rooms eluded him. _I really want to make some clones, but Yuuko wants me to blend in as best I can. It does make sense; managing a military is as much political as it is infrastructural. She wants to hide me as a sort of trump card, letting loose with my shinobi skills when she most needs it. Though I can't promise it will go her way._

"You there! What are you doing, lollygagging around?"

When he saw the rank on the approaching person's uniform, he stood to attention and saluted. While he wasn't required to do so to anyone under captain rank, his instructions from Yuuko clearly stated that he should show respect to the sergeant who would head the training school she assigned him to. The woman in front of him matched the picture Yuuko gave him to the point.

"Ma'am, apologies for my tardiness. I was having trouble locating the rooms for trainee orientation, ma'am." _Good thing I have experience with chains of command._

She looked relieved. "Oh, then you must be Kazama Naoto, the new recruit that Yuuko told me about. I've been looking for you."

_She's on a first name basis with that woman?_

"I am Sergeant Jinguuji Marimo, and I'll be your instructor here at Nerima base's 207th Training School. It's a pleasure to meet you, trainee Kazama."

"Yes ma'am, it's my pleasure!" Naoto said with vigor.

**xxxx**


End file.
